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Bring Spring Indoors with Paper Flowers

Even though it has felt like summer this last week in Chicago, today is officially the first day of spring! I wanted to celebrate the end of winter with a project I have been meaning to try for awhile – making paper flowers. I had initially seen the idea for paper dogwood flowers in the April 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living – it is a really simple project that took about an hour from start to finish and I am loving the results!

The first thing you need are some branches. If you are lucky enough to have a real tree in your yard, you are all set. If you are like me, you might have to buy them at Pier 1. 😉 I have had these branches for years, and mix fall leaves with them in autumn, fake berry branches for Christmas, etc. but they were looking a little sad on my mantle over the winter, so it was time to give them some new life.

You’ll also need some card stock in your favorite colors (I picked shades of blue to match our living room), crayons or a pencil, a ruler, and hot glue gun or craft glue:

Making the flowers was a little like origami. First, cut out a bunch of squares (I used 4″ squares). Fold each square in half, then fold it in half again. Unfold the square then fold it on each diagonal so it looks like this:

Now refold the square along the original creases so it looks like the picture below and then freehand trace on this petal outline. The bottom point of the petal should be at the folded (not open) end of the square. Then make a tiny cut off the bottom point of the petal:

Unfold it and it should look like this! I used white crayon to make the markings in the center of the flower:

Repeat until you have enough flowers to fill your branches, freehand cut out some green leaves and crease in the center lengthwise, and then put a dab of glue on the back and stick to the branches: